Open University 2½-2½ Bedford D – updated

Open University Bedford D
Board Name Grade Score Score Name Grade
1 Peter Clarke 177 0.5 0.5 John Harbour 150
2 George Ward 151 0 1 Qais Karimi 136
3 James Alexander 145 0 1 Ben Pike 104
4 Rodrigo Fisher Fernandez 130e 1 0 Mac MacKenzie 73
5 Shamal Mohammed 120e 1 0 Anthony Lawrence 66
23/03/2017 2.5 2.5

About an hour into the match we were looking good: I had a reasonable position; Qais had a promising attack and was about to win a pawn; Ben had gambitted a pawn and looked to be a pawn down; Tony and Mac were both a piece up with solid positions.

On my next stroll around I was still OK; Qais was winning; Ben was a pawn down; Tony was still a piece up with an opportunity to immediately win a 2nd piece – which he sadly missed; Mac was still a piece up.

Next time I looked I was under pressure; Qais had won; Ben was a pawn down; Tony was being mated in an endgame; Mac had somehow lost – I never did find out how.

My game was agreed drawn after 61 moves. I assumed we had lost the match and was delighted to find out that Ben had cashed in on his gambit pawn late on to achieve a fine victory for the second week in a row. Someone’s grade is on the rise!

John